It’s only been a few short months since we first looked at the Razer Viper lightweight eSports mouse but Razer wasted no time in releasing an update. Today, we’re looking at the Razer Viper Ultimate. It features the same sturdy yet lightweight design of the original but now features improved feet and Razer’s industry-leading HyperSpeed Wireless connectivity. At $149, it’s competing in a crowded market - does it do enough to stand out and earn your purchase? Join us as we find out.
Specifications
- Current Price: $149.99
- True 20,000 DPI Focus+ optical sensor with 99.6% resolution accuracy
- Up to 650 inches per second (IPS) / 50 G acceleration
- Advanced Lift-off/Landing distance customization
- HyperSpeed wireless technology
- Eight independently programmable buttons
- Razer™ Optical Mouse Switches rated for 70M clicks
- True Ambidextrous shape
- Gaming-grade tactile scroll wheel
- On-The-Fly Sensitivity Adjustment (Default stages : 400/800/1600/2400/3200)
- Hybrid On-board and Cloud Storage (4+1 profiles)
- Razer Synapse 3 enabled
- Razer Chroma™ lighting with true 16.8 million customizable color options
- Inter-device color synchronization
- Wired and Wireless usage modes
- 2.4 GHz dongle
- 1.8 m / 6 ft Speedflex cable for charging and wired use
- Razer Mouse charging dock compatible
- Battery life: Approximately 70 hours (without lighting) (Battery life depends on usage settings)
- Approximate size: 126.7 mm / 4.99 in (Length) X 66.2 mm / 2.61 in (Width) X 37.8 mm / 1.49 in (Height)
- Approximate weight: 74 g / 2.61 oz (Excluding cable)
- Compatible with Xbox One for basic input
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The Ultimate Viper
When the Razer Viper launched, we were impressed. Before awarding it our Golden Hardware Reward, I had this to say:
I’ve used a lot of different mice from Razer and this is my hands-down favorite. It’s just lightweight enough to feel like air in the hand but is solid enough to feel durable. The addition of optical switches is a great move for the long-term durability and the kind of cutting-edge responsiveness pro gamers demand. That’s not me. I can’t tell the difference between 0.2ms and 0.5ms. What I can tell is that this mouse feels great in my hand, it’s exceptionally accurate, and is as close to wireless feeling as a wired mouse is going to get. The Razer Viper ESports Mouse is a real winner that may help you become the same.
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After spending some time with the Razer Viper Ultimate, I’m happy to say that every bit of that also applies here and also brings with it some substantial improvements. Still, if you haven’t read our original review, please do so. A lot of things will still apply, like the shape and excellent optical switches.
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While fundamentally it’s the same mouse - same body, similar light weight - it now features Razer’s brand new 20,000 DPI Focus+ optical sensor, 650 IPS top speed, 50G acceleration, and Motion Sync. This new sensor is supremely accurate. It didn’t matter whether I cranked up the DPI and lowered the sensitivity in-game or the other way around, I never once felt like the mouse was less than pixel perfect. Thanks to its customizable lift-off distance and surface calibration, I was also able to make sure that my aim never failed just because I had to reposition the mouse.
Motion Sync is a neat feature I haven’t heard of by now. It works by aligning the mouse’s 1000 Hz report rate to cadence your computer seeks signals. By ensuring the two are aligned, the Viper Ultimate is able to keep its position data much more consistent. This is actually visible in software like MouseTester that will show each bit of errant information the PC needs to filter through to track your movement. In practice, I didn’t find this to be something I could actually feel but being able to see it on a chart certainly demonstrates improvements versus something like the Logitech G Pro Wireless, which I also tested.
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Razer's HyperSpeed Wireless is Hyper Fast
As good as the Speedflex cable was - the original essentially felt wireless - there really is no beating a truly wireless experience. That’s especially true here with Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless. We’ve long been past the point where premium wireless peripherals would leave you at a disadvantage and HyperSpeed is the best wireless technology I’ve ever tested.
I compared the Razer Viper Ultimate against the Logitech G502 LIGHTSPEED using Zowie’s Mouse Rate Checker. The G502 LIGHTSPEED, which is fair to say was and is acclaimed, reported a rate that peaked out at about 996 Hz at best. Routinely, it would average closer to 960 Hz and would frequently drop into the 800 or even 700 range for a second or two before bouncing back up. The Viper Ultimate, on the other hand, actually topped out at 1001 Hz and never dropped below 998 Hz for more than a second. This is virtually identical to the wired version of the Viper and extremely impressive.
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This rapid connectivity might leave you wondering what kind of hit battery life takes but it turns out to be a complete non-issue thanks to the slick new charging dock. The battery is rated for 70 hours of playtime with lighting disabled. In practice, whenever the mouse isn’t used it’s meant to be slotted on the included charging stand. I’ve used the mouse for about a week and have never dropped below 90-percent battery using it like this.
Speaking of the stand, that’s where I take my only issues. I love the look; the included RGB ring creates a slick under-glow, but it’s not customizable and will only color cycle. Since the Viper Ultimate only has a single RGB zone, this is less of an issue than with the much more illuminated Basilisk Ultimate but it would still be nice if it was customizable like the mouse. Second, while the angular design definitely looks unique, it requires the mouse to be slid on a track that doesn’t feel intuitive. Often, I would set the mouse on the stand, forgetting to make sure it was on the track, only to have it fall or not make a connection with the charging pins. Thankfully, there are magnets that help teach you the proper way to place it over time.
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Introducing the Firefly V2 Mouse Mat
A surprise arrived with my mouse: Razer’s brand-new Firefly V2 mouse pad. It’s Razer’s take on a Chroma-enabled mouse surface and acts as a highlight piece for your desk setup (on top of being a great mouse pad). It’s been substantially upgraded from the original version with more RGB lighting zones (19 total) around the outer ring and a new micro-textured hard surface to enhance mousing speed.
Compared to the original, the RGB highlight is much more prominent and displays in a ring rather the semi- underglow we found on V1. Razer claims that it’s three times brighter and that definitely seems about right to my eyes. It’s vibrant and the extra LEDs allow the effects to flow much smoother.
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Around the top, we also have an integrated cable-guide for your mouse cord. This performs the same job as a mouse bungee and keeps your cable out of the way of those big sweeps and repositions.
At $49.99, pricing is in line with other mouse pads of this kind and caliber. At the same time, I do wish they offered a USB port for connecting a mouse, dongle, or even a keyboard or headset. Still, if their goal was to deliver a great mousing surface that also looks amazing, they’ve definitely succeeded.
Final Thoughts
Put simply, the Razer Viper Ultimate is now my hands-down favorite wireless mouse in the light-weight category. It takes everything I loved about the original and either brings it back or improves upon it. Thanks to the excellent Speedflex cable on the original, I wouldn’t rush out and upgrade if you already own the Razer Viper, but for a first-time buyer, it’s competitively priced, feature-rich, and offers the fastest and most consistent connection on the market. The Razer Viper Ultimate is highly, highly recommended.
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Pros
- Excellent ergonomics - great for any grip
- Very lightweight, even with an internal battery
- Outstanding sensor
- HyperSpeed Wireless leads the industry
- Solid build and satisfying clicks
- Price competitive
Cons
- Stand isn’t customizable and is quite finnicky
